‘Armed and dangerous’ man who escaped from Kansas hospital captured

UPDATE, 8:55 a.m. Tuesday: Randy Snodgrass was arrested in Neosho County at about 1:30 a.m., according to a Facebook post by the Parsons public information office.

Snodgrass “assaulted a State Worker on Tuesday while returning from Independence and fled on foot from near Hwy 400 and Ness Road, north of Parsons,” the post said.

Original story:

A convicted rapist and kidnapper is considered armed and dangerous after escaping from a sexual predator treatment program in southeast Kansas.

Randy Eugene Snodgrass, 58, ran away Monday while being taken to Parsons State Hospital and Training Center, said officials with the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services. A state hospital staffer was injured during the escape and received treatment at another hospital.

Snodgrass is considered armed and dangerous, the state agency said. No further details were released.

He was a resident in the sexual predator treatment program at Parsons State Hospital.

Snodgrass is on parole after being convicted of rape, aggravated sodomy, aggravated kidnapping and aggravated assault in Douglas County. Kansas Department of Corrections records show the crimes happened in 1990.

“The priority for us right now is the safety of our hospital staff and of the general public,” Laura Howard, the department secretary, said in a statement. “Officials at the hospital are working very closely with local law enforcement to ensure this resident is apprehended quickly and without further incident.”

Snodgrass was described as 5-foot-8, 195 pounds and was last seen wearing a black hoodie and black pants. Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to call 911.

Snodgrass was paroled to Labette County in December after spending four years in prison following a parole violation. He was first paroled in August 2013 after being held in prison since 1991.

This story was originally published February 3, 2020 at 5:56 PM.